I have that 1976 Selbyana article. The paper is a discussion about
pollination of Spaths in neotropics, particularly by Euglossine bees. Some
species of Spathiphyllum attract only one Euglossine species, others attract
several species. There is a comparison of pollinators visiting Anthurium.
Parallels are drawn between Euglossine pollination in orchids (esp. in
Catasetinae and Gongoreae and others). Scents in all these various flowers
are similar (to our noses), although this paper does not go into fragrance
analysis. In addition, the paper discusses a couple of different theories
about Spathiphyllum sect. Massowia in the old world and seemingly unrelated
species in the neotropics, why did this dispersal occur in the genus? There
is a link to Holochlamys evolution from Spathiphyllum in old world. The issue
of fused tepals (old world sect. Massowia) vs. free tepals (most neotropical
species) seems to suggest that the old world species are more advanced, yet
is it possible that Spaths originated in the old world and neotropical
members of the genus came later? If so, why do the neotropical species have
free tepals, which are considered less advanced? I have not read lately the
evolutionary discussion in "Genera of the Araceae" to see if any of these
theories have been developed or thrown out, so I need to read it again. Could
be these hypotheses are all considered bunk now. The paper presents an
interesting speculation that diverse Spathiphyllum species evolved in the
neotropics as adaptation to selective attraction of pollinators via slight
changes in floral scents. Since no Euglossines occur in the old world perhaps
this is why there are more spath species in the neotropics?

If there is enough interest in this paper perhaps we should try to get
permission to put it online?

<< | Well, Ron, I didn't have a Spath but after reading your posts I bought
the
| first one I saw at my local Lowe's. So far, I haven't enjoyed any
| noticeable scent from it. I'd be interested in hearing some more on the
| range of scents, colors, sizes, etc. in the genus---the page at aroid.org
| is interesting but somewhat silent on this. It does note the very unusual
| distribution of the genus which is apparently discussed in a 1976
| article in Selbyana by Williams and Dressler not in the U. Va. library
here.
| How did it come to be in Middle America and New Guinea/Philippines? I
should
| go consult Deni's book...
|
| Clear skies,
| Al >>

Thank you so very much. Helen Kennedy, bless her, told me about pollination
by the Euglossine Bees, I DO find fragrances of various Spathiphyllum
species vary significantly.

It would be good to have a photostat or buy a copy of the paper or could you
scan/email?

I am especially interested in why there has been such presumably adaptive
radiation of NW species, whereas there are few but apparently very
differently adapted OW species. Maybe this obvious tepal thing is a blind
alley and the true way leads somehere else! ('Sorry for the obtuse pun).
It seems strange to me that with such world wide distribution there can be
so few species. Maybe it is because they all look like, well,
Spathiphyllum. Is this because we are not euglossine and do not target
features which separates one kind from another within a species or section.
How can there be just two or three Asian spp and if so why? WHY only white
or green Spaths? Do the greens in particular have different fragrances for
different bees or are bees interested at all? And why the either reflexed
or hooded spathes? Because I always seem to be in a flight path towards
Spathiphyllum was I re-incarnated from an educationally subnormal
e-bee?!!!!. It might explain my strange need to seek incessantly for
another "different" Peace Lily!!!. I have a very strong predeliction for
very dark green forms with most shy corrugated leaves with toothed margins
No matter how large & attractive the spathe matt leaves are just not, well,
"right"...

But maybe other people might agree that the shinies are the "best"? The
great variation in morphology of the genus is also most interesting. Plant
size (10cms to 4m), root structure vs wetness of habitat, leaf form and
structure including shininess, thickness, bilateral symmetry etc etc, spathe
open-ness and size. Also the relationship between light preferences and
tolerances (deepest shade10 to fill sun,10,000 fcs) of various forms. So
maybe questions can be answered only by LIVING with them closely, time to
watch & wonder freely but cautiously. Euglossines maybe know a lot we don't
about, (as you write), "Not so Simple Peace Lilies". I feel that
hybridisation and tissue culture, particularly involving widely different &
geographical spp needs to be very careful. Horticulture can mangle millions
of years of evolution in seconds what Botanic Gardens & Collections try to
keep intact. After fifty or more years haphazard hybridisation (and the
genus hybridises very easily) collecting all the cultivars as well I may be
laying down a minefield. It is SO important to know the origin of
definitive "species" and anything else needs numbering with their "names".
This started off as a supplementary botanical labour of love, now major
issues are arising because of you IAS catalysts, Thank goodness I chose a
small(?), simple(?) genus. I forgot that often infinite complexity just
seems elegantly simple. WotavIstarted again? Anyway, thanks to so many
people there should be a meaningful assembly of species and cultivars
growing here by Fall. As it develops I will send photo scans & reports to
IAS.

| Ron and Al,
|
| I have that 1976 Selbyana article. The paper is a discussion about
| pollination of Spaths in neotropics, particularly by Euglossine bees. Some
| species of Spathiphyllum attract only one Euglossine species, others
attract
| several species. There is a comparison of pollinators visiting Anthurium.
| Parallels are drawn between Euglossine pollination in orchids (esp. in
| Catasetinae and Gongoreae and others). Scents in all these various flowers
| are similar (to our noses), although this paper does not go into fragrance
| analysis. In addition, the paper discusses a couple of different theories
| about Spathiphyllum sect. Massowia in the old world and seemingly
unrelated
| species in the neotropics, why did this dispersal occur in the genus?
There
| is a link to Holochlamys evolution from Spathiphyllum in old world. The
issue
| of fused tepals (old world sect. Massowia) vs. free tepals (most
neotropical
| species) seems to suggest that the old world species are more advanced,
yet
| is it possible that Spaths originated in the old world and neotropical
| members of the genus came later? If so, why do the neotropical species
have
| free tepals, which are considered less advanced? I have not read lately
the
| evolutionary discussion in "Genera of the Araceae" to see if any of these
| theories have been developed or thrown out, so I need to read it again.
Could
| be these hypotheses are all considered bunk now. The paper presents an
| interesting speculation that diverse Spathiphyllum species evolved in the
| neotropics as adaptation to selective attraction of pollinators via slight
| changes in floral scents. Since no Euglossines occur in the old world
perhaps
| this is why there are more spath species in the neotropics?
|
| If there is enough interest in this paper perhaps we should try to get
| permission to put it online?
|
| Donna Atwood
|
|
|
| In a message dated 06/13/2001 11:03:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
| roniles@eircom.net writes:
|
| << | Well, Ron, I didn't have a Spath but after reading your posts I
bought
| the
| | first one I saw at my local Lowe's. So far, I haven't enjoyed any
| | noticeable scent from it. I'd be interested in hearing some more on
the
| | range of scents, colors, sizes, etc. in the genus---the page at
aroid.org
| | is interesting but somewhat silent on this. It does note the very
unusual
| | distribution of the genus which is apparently discussed in a 1976
| | article in Selbyana by Williams and Dressler not in the U. Va. library
| here.
| | How did it come to be in Middle America and New Guinea/Philippines? I
| should
| | go consult Deni's book...
| |
| | Clear skies,
| | Al >>
|

I have that 1976 Selbyana article. The paper is a discussion about
pollination of Spaths in neotropics, particularly by Euglossine bees. Some
species of Spathiphyllum attract only one Euglossine species, others attract
several species. There is a comparison of pollinators visiting Anthurium.
Parallels are drawn between Euglossine pollination in orchids (esp. in
Catasetinae and Gongoreae and others). Scents in all these various flowers
are similar (to our noses), although this paper does not go into fragrance
analysis. In addition, the paper discusses a couple of different theories
about Spathiphyllum sect. Massowia in the old world and seemingly unrelated
species in the neotropics, why did this dispersal occur in the genus? There
is a link to Holochlamys evolution from Spathiphyllum in old world. The
issue
of fused tepals (old world sect. Massowia) vs. free tepals (most neotropical
species) seems to suggest that the old world species are more advanced, yet
is it possible that Spaths originated in the old world and neotropical
members of the genus came later? If so, why do the neotropical species have
free tepals, which are considered less advanced? I have not read lately the
evolutionary discussion in "Genera of the Araceae" to see if any of these
theories have been developed or thrown out, so I need to read it again.
Could
be these hypotheses are all considered bunk now. The paper presents an
interesting speculation that diverse Spathiphyllum species evolved in the
neotropics as adaptation to selective attraction of pollinators via slight
changes in floral scents. Since no Euglossines occur in the old world
perhaps
this is why there are more spath species in the neotropics?

If there is enough interest in this paper perhaps we should try to get
permission to put it online?

<< | Well, Ron, I didn't have a Spath but after reading your posts I bought
the
| first one I saw at my local Lowe's. So far, I haven't enjoyed any
| noticeable scent from it. I'd be interested in hearing some more on the
| range of scents, colors, sizes, etc. in the genus---the page at aroid.org
| is interesting but somewhat silent on this. It does note the very unusual
| distribution of the genus which is apparently discussed in a 1976
| article in Selbyana by Williams and Dressler not in the U. Va. library
here.
| How did it come to be in Middle America and New Guinea/Philippines? I
should
| go consult Deni's book...
|
| Clear skies,
| Al >>

Will see what can be done about getting this paper and others online on the
IAS site or elsewhere, but I am certain there are copyright issues so I do
not know if we will be successful.

There's quite a bit of research been done on pollination biology of
Euglossines and orchids. On the IAS web site are some wonderful images and a
aroid pollination study done by Danny Beath. This can be found in the
"pollination" link on left hand menu on the home page.

I would think that there would be some sort of 'disclaimer' like we have in
Aroideana saying that re-printing is permitted with permission of the
publisher, or better as long as credit is given to the author, but am not
sure as to the legalities of this, seems like everyone is on a 'legal' kick
these days. Sad state of affairs.
I will check Danny`s article on the web, but if it is about beetle
pollenation in Dieffenbachia, he published it in a past Aroideana. Good
work.
Must run, so hope that things go well for you in the cold North!

Will see what can be done about getting this paper and others online on the
IAS site or elsewhere, but I am certain there are copyright issues so I do
not know if we will be successful.

There's quite a bit of research been done on pollination biology of
Euglossines and orchids. On the IAS web site are some wonderful images and a
aroid pollination study done by Danny Beath. This can be found in the
"pollination" link on left hand menu on the home page.

This way anyone can read and even print them on any platform using any
OS.

We migrated to this form at AEG (Arisaema Enthusiasts Group) after
posting a number of
documents in Word, Wordperfect, 1-2-3 and Excel form. Many couldn't open
them, but,
once in PDF form, no troubles at all.

The documents are protected by a password so that they're only available
to AEG members.
Thus it is not a general distribution, but more like a library.

Very good idea re password protecting via Acrobat files. There has been some
discussion lately about some kind of "members only" content on the IAS web
site and this might be a workable solution. Even if we don't go with a
password, the PDF format is very platform independent and works well for
everyone.

<<
Let me recommend that you start documents-on-line in .PDF form using
Acrobat software.
This way anyone can read and even print them on any platform using any
OS.

We migrated to this form at AEG (Arisaema Enthusiasts Group) after
posting a number of
documents in Word, Wordperfect, 1-2-3 and Excel form. Many couldn't open
them, but,
once in PDF form, no troubles at all.

The documents are protected by a password so that they're only available
to AEG members.
Thus it is not a general distribution, but more like a library.

<< seems like everyone is on a 'legal' kick
these days. Sad state of affairs.

While I applaud your attitude, I am sure that others would find it irresponsibly flippant. These days, anybody can sue anybody, for anything. If I don't like the color of your house, I can find some lawyer who can find some legal basis for my complaint. Clearly, lawyers these days are still too affordable; if they were expensive, fewer people would be hiring them.

While I applaud your attitude, I am sure that others would find it
irresponsibly flippant. These days, anybody can sue anybody, for anything.
If I don't like the color of your house, I can find some lawyer who can find
some legal basis for my complaint. Clearly, lawyers these days are still
too affordable; if they were expensive, fewer people would be hiring them.

Jason Hernandez
Naturalist-at-Large<<

Dear Jason,

So sue me!?!?!? :--)
(for being 'flippant'---does this make me related to 'Flipper'??)

Respectfully,

Julius

From: Betsy Feuerstein ecuador at midsouth.rr.com> on 2001.06.24 at 17:36:41(6867)You may think lawyers are still too cheap, until you need one and then you will
think you have lost your first and second born and the rest of the clan. You hit
a raw button after it took a fortune to get my freedom.
Betsy